Papua New Guinea in Style and Comfort
Tour Introduction
This is an exceptional luxury itinerary for those interested in the fascinating culture, unique tribal communities, unusual landscapes and endemic wildlife of the magical island of New Guinea – without sacrificing one’s creature comforts.
Using only the best lodge accommodation available in Papua New Guinea, the tour provides plenty of style while venturing into remote and exciting locations. Combining traditional river tribes, flamboyant Huli Wigmen, verdant rainforests, cool mountains and unforgettable birds of paradise this promises to be the trip of a lifetime to one of the world’s last travel frontiers. It doesn’t get any better as far as Papua New Guinea is concerned, and so we commend the tour to you. [Please Note: Ambua Lodge is temporarily closed. Please enquire for alternative options]
Full Itinerary
Arrive in Singapore and connect with onward flight to Port Moresby.
Includes In-flight Meals.
Arrival in Port Moresby. Assistance provided to connect with flight to Tari. Met on arrival and transfer to the lodge with its breathtaking views across the Tari Valley below. After lunch there will be a guided excursion into the rich rainforest around the Tari Gap to look for some of the 13 species of bird of paradise which inhabit the area. In the late afternoon many should be displaying, including the King of Saxony, Stephanie’s astraphia, ribbontail astraphia and the sicklebill bird of paradise.
Staying at Ambua Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Full day of guided activities in the magnificent Tari Basin and surrounding slopes. This is the home of the Huli clans, one of the largest and most culturally intact ethnic groups in the Southern Highlands and all of PNG. The Huli were only discovered in 1935 and were one of the last groups to come under government control. During a tour of their village there will be the opportunity to meet these proud people and learn about their traditions and way of life, which is still governed by their belief in ancestral spirits and sorcery.
Staying at Ambua Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Another day of guided activities in the Tari area, perhaps involving local villages and walks in the forest to see birds of paradise and other wildlife.
Staying at Ambua Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Transfer to the airport and take charter flight to Karawari airstrip, Kudiman district. Met on arrival and transfer by jet boat to Karawari Lodge, set in a vast alluvial floodplain laced with narrow waterways. The Karawari people are the most remote of the floodplain communities. After lunch, transfer to a Kundiman village to observe a sago-making demonstration (sago being the staple food for the river communities).
Staying at Karawari Lodge. Includes All Meals.
A full day of excursions along the jungle-fringed Karawari River to observe the village life and customs of the Arambak communities who live along its banks. A journey in this part of the Sepik region provides a unique opportunity to learn how the art and culture of the people are so inseparable and woven into their lives.
Staying at Karawari Lodge. Includes All Meals.
Transfer by riverboat to the airstrip and catch a charter flight to Mount Hagen. Met on arrival and transfer to Rondon Ridge. In the afternoon there will be a guided excursion in the untouched rainforest to look for birds and other wildlife. There are over 180 bird species in the area including 10 species of birds of paradise.
Staying at Rondon Ridge. Includes Lunch and Dinner.
Full day of guided activities in the Waghi Valley visiting some of the local villages. The Mount Hagen area is home to the Melpa people, a community with strong traditions and beliefs who, in the face of advancing modernity, still preserve their culture and live their traditional subsistence lifestyles.
Staying at Rondon Ridge. Includes All Meals.
Transfer to the airport and catch Air Niugini flight to Port Moresby. Met on arrival and assisted with connection to Tufi. Met on arrival and transfer to Tufi Resort.
Staying at Tufi Resort. Includes All Meals.
Full day at leisure. OPTIONAL activities available, eg snorkelling, diving, village visits, nature walks.
Staying at Tufi Resort. Includes All Meals.
Full day at leisure. OPTIONAL activities available eg snorkelling, diving, village visits, nature walks.
Staying at Tufi Resort. Includes All Meals.
Transfer to the airport for flight to Port Moresby. Met on arrival and enjoy a half day tour of the Adventure Park. Later, transfer back to the airport for flight to Singapore.
Includes In-flight Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Ambua Lodge
Overview
Set in the Southern Highlands at 7000ft with stunning views of the Tari Valley below, long-established Ambua Lodge is an inspired example of environmentally sensitive building. The lodge offers two styles of accommodation: individual thatched bungalows built in traditional highlands style, and a main block with modern hotel rooms. A small hydroelectric unit supplies the electricity. Ambua is a perfect base from which to explore neighbouring Huli villages, and nature walks taken around the lodge and at the nearby Tari Gap offer excellent opportunities for bird of paradise sightings and encounters.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, lounge, bar, electric blankets, private bathrooms, 24-hour electricity.
Local Wildlife
The Tari Valley and forest around Ambua is a birder’s paradise. Although many species can be seen, it is particularly famous for birds of paradise, of which 13 species can be regularly spotted (some actually in the lodge grounds). Those include the spectacular blue bird of paradise and the bizarre black sicklebill with its energetic courtship display. Other montane species include lesser melampitta, Stephanie’s astrapia, yellow-browed melidectes and the notorious skulking Forbes’s forest rail.
Optional Activities
Birdwatching excursions in the Tari valley and visits to local Huli wigmen villages.
Karawari Lodge
Overview
Perched upon an isolated ridge amid a huge expanse of lowland rainforest in one of the remotest parts of PNG, attractive Karawari Lodge can only be reached by boat, and light aircraft which land at its private airstrip. It is the highest grade accommodation in the area.
Accommodation is in rustic yet comfortable cottages built of local bush materials. The main building, in the shape of a haus tambaran (spirit house of the local Arambak people) contains a dining area, lounge and bar. There is 220-volt electricity, hot water showers, ceiling fans, mosquito netted beds and veranda with a beautiful vista.
Wake up to the chattering of lorikeets and eclectus parrots and enjoy a programme of tours which include guided walks, boat trips and cultural displays.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Dining room, lounge, bar, electricity, ceiling fans, mosquito nets and verandas.
Local Wildlife
The bird watching in the area is superb, much of it observable from the lodge. At least 229 species have been recorded in the area, including twelve-wire bird of paradise and various species of cockatoos, parrots, hornbills and water birds. The forest also contains a large diversity of orchids and amphibians.
Optional Activities
Excursions to local villages, cultural displays, river boat trips, bird watching and forest hikes. For the adventurous, overnight stays in the local village can be arranged.
Rondon Ridge
Overview
Rondon Ridge is a modern lodge situated at 7100 feet on Kum Mountain, near Mt Hagen, enjoying magnificent views of the Hagen Range, Mount Giluwe, the Sepik Divide, the Baiyer Gap and Wahgi Valley. The climate is one of pleasant, spring-like weather. Guests are accommodated in spacious, simply decorated rooms, each featuring 180-degree views, modern bathroom, electric blankets and duvets for the cool highland evenings. The main building houses the lounge, bar, dining room, conference centre and is warmed by a cosy fireplace. There is 24-hour electricity supplied by its own hydroelectric power plant.
Rondon Ridge is a 40-minute drive from Mount Hagen and close to pristine rainforest,. There are abundant orchids and amphibians. This is the land of the Melpa tribe and visitors can observe their traditional customs and lifestyles.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, lounge, 24-hour electricity, conference centre, electric blankets, seating area and TV and a fireplace.
Local Wildlife
180 bird species including Macgregors’s bowerbird and brown sicklebill, and 10 species of bird of paradise including Stephanie’s astrapia, the superb bird of paradise and King of Saxony. Amphibians and orchids are abundant. Mammals are present but are extremely difficult to see.
Optional Activities
Bird and wildlife watching excursions in the local rainforest and cultural activities such as visits to Melpa villages.
Tufi Dive Resort
Overview
Located on the mainland slopes of Mount Trafalgar with stunning views of the fjords below, Tufi Resort offers accommodation in comfortable bungalows traditionally constructed from local bush materials and decorated with tribal carvings and artefacts.
The rooms are screened and have air-conditioning, hot water, en-suites, coffee and tea facilities and mini fridge. Many units have verandas overlooking the fjord or Coral Sea. The main attractions of the area are scuba diving and snorkelling. In addition, the local tribal villages give the opportunity to experience authentic indigenous culture first hand, whilst the bird life and butterflies in the forest surrounding the resort are spectacular. The world’s largest species of butterfly, the Queen Alexandra birdwing, can be seen in the area (if you are lucky).
A good house reef is just steps from the resort and any one of 30 excellent open water diving spots is a mere 15-minute boat trip away. The reefs in this part of the Solomon Sea are among the best in the world and some have not yet been fully explored. The coral communities support hundreds of colourful reef fish, eels and black and white tipped reef sharks and turtles are common sightings. In deeper water, manta and eagle rays, hammerheads and the rare white hammerhead can be seen alongside schools of tuna, mackerel and barracuda.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Restaurant, bar, lounge, small swimming pool, hot water showers, tea and coffee making facilities, mini fridge, air conditioning and private bathrooms.
Local Wildlife
Underwater coral communities teeming with reef fish such as scorpion, ghost and pipefish, black and white tipped reef sharks, hammerheads, white hammerheads, eagle and manta rays, tuna and barracuda.
The forest surrounding the lodge is good for birding and Raggiana bird-of-paradise, Queen Victoria crested pigeon, New Guinea harpy eagle, dwarf cassowary, hornbills and lorikeets are some of the highlights: mammal-wise, cuscus, tree kangaroos, wallabies and echidnas (an egg-laying mammal) are present but difficult to see.
Butterfly diversity is also very impressive around the resort and world’s largest species the Queen Alexandra birdwing can occasionally be seen along with the spectacular blue Ulysses butterfly and bright green Priam's birdwing.
Optional Activities
Scuba diving and snorkelling, wildlife watching and cultural activities such as village homestays.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
Yes
Flight Info:
Return flights with Air Niugini from Singapore to Port Moresby are included. Please enquire for flight fares from London Heathrow. Tour must depart the UK on a Wednesday to fit with domestic charter schedules.
Best Visited:
May to October
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Claire Pote
Area Specialist
Given the amount of travelling involved, perhaps opt for a night or two’s stopover in Singapore en route to Port Moresby.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
We write to express our thanks for organising another highly successful special itinerary tour [to Papua new Guinea], despite the last minute changes to our tour schedule. We were very impressed with [your representatives]. They ran a highly professional service in all aspects. The three lodges, all with their own very special character, were well run with friendly staff, clean and with good facilities. The food at all three was excellent -including the vegetarian provision. The transfer arrangements…were excellent…The excursion opportunities at all the lodges were good.. .The three contrasting locations of the lodges…enabled us to sample three very different village cultures, and their remoteness and juxtaposition to primary rainforest. . .made for excellent wildlife viewing especially for birds.. .In all our world travels so far, we have never been able to match the very special experience that combined the comfort of these individually unique lodges.. .with the opportunities to explore some of the world’s dwindling rainforest and meet its ancient and charming peoples and witness its unique birdlife. To step outside our lodge cabin [at Tari] and observe three species of birds of paradise was just magic!
